


Bleeding Red

by FayeWildwood



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: (basically elijah makes gavin into an android), Android Gavin Reed, Because Nines is life, Bisexual Gavin Reed, Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, Gavin Reed-centric, Gavin and Tina are besties, Gavin isn't a complete asshole, Good Elijah Kamski, I love her, M/M, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-good ending, Social Anxiety, Soft Gavin Reed, Tina Chen is a goddess, Touch-Starved Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor RK900/Gavin Reed-centric, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Is Bad at Feelings, no beta we die like men, tags updated as i go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2019-10-08 23:50:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17396078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FayeWildwood/pseuds/FayeWildwood
Summary: "I didn't fucking ask for this! You- goddammit, Eli, what the shit have you done?""Gavin, please, you have to understand, I did this for you," he begged, fingers gripping the shorter man's shoulders and squeezing. "You're my brother, Gav, I couldn't just let you- you were dying." There was more emotion in those few words than Gavin had heard in years and if he looked close enough, he swore he could see tears shimmering in Elijah's eyes. "Nothing has changed, not to me, not to anyone else. As far as they're concerned, I brought you to a specialist. But nothing has changed," he insisted. "You may have a new body, but you're still the same Gavin. You have the same personality, the same memories. You're still you.""I'm not the same anything, Eli. You made me into one of your fucking plastic dolls! I didn't- I've never wanted that, you know that. Fuck," he spat, running false fingers through his false hair. His entire body felt like a live wire and he could feel the blood- no, the thirium- pumping through his false veins. "Fuck Eli... you should have just let me die..."





	1. Nines' Proposition

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I've been playing around with for a while and now I'm finally going to do it! I make no promises on how often I'll update it, sorry I just work a lot, but here we go!  
> PS I'll update tags as I go, but there might be some trigger stuff in here so be aware.

"I didn't fucking ask for this! You- goddammit, Eli, what the shit have you done?"

"Gavin, please, you have to understand, I did this for you," he begged, fingers gripping the shorter man's shoulders and squeezing. "You're my brother, Gav, I couldn't just let you- you were dying." There was more emotion in those few words than Gavin had heard in years and if he looked close enough, he swore he could see tears shimmering in Elijah's eyes. "Nothing has changed, not to me, not to anyone else. As far as they're concerned, I brought you to a specialist. But nothing has changed," he insisted. "You may have a new body, but you're still the same Gavin. You have the same personality, the same memories. You're still you."

"I'm not the same anything, Eli. You made me into one of your fucking plastic dolls! I didn't- I've never wanted that, you know that. Fuck," he spat, running false fingers through his false hair. His entire body felt like a live wire and he could feel the blood- no, the thirium- pumping through his false veins. "Fuck Eli... you should have just let me die..."

\--

Gavin made a point to be careful after the... accident. While he'd never been the nicest guy before, now he used his personality as a weapon. He built up a wall of barbed wire and trigger bombs around himself, wielded his sharp tongue like a dagger. He made sure his skin was made of metal instead of plastic so that nobody could get close enough to hurt him. It was hard. Gavin might have been rough around the edges when he first left the academy, but he was still a social butterfly. He enjoyed going out for drinks with the guys and Tina, enjoyed going on dates and just hanging out with friends. So pushing people away, keeping them at a distance, was something that was difficult to do at first.

Over the years he'd gotten used to it. Word spread about what breed of asshole he was and his reputation only added another layer of spikes onto his wall. People he didn't know avoided him, people he did know talked shit about him behind his back. But he didn't fucking care, not anymore, as long as they never found out the truth.

Ten years later, Tina was still the only one who actually stuck around. She gave him as much shit as he gave her and never took it personally when he got snippy.

He joked once that if she wasn't a raging lesbian, he would have already married her. (She punched him for the comment.)

Then Connor showed up and fucked up everything. Hunting _deviants_  like they were the most disgusting thing in the world. It was no secret that Gavin hated androids more than most, in fact most people had a bet going as to whether it was him or Anderson who hated them more. But Deviants... those were different. Gavin found himself fascinated with them. They were so different than any other programmed bot. They had their own feelings, their own personalities, their own names. He was obsessed with finding out _why_. 

But Anderson was the one assigned to the deviant cases, not Gavin. Because of fucking course. (Though part of Gavin was secretly relieved. He had no idea what might have happened if he'd gotten too close to a deviant.)

Well long story short, the revolution succeeded. Android Jesus freed the slaves, deviants were legal now. It was a whole thing that Gavin found he gave no shits about in the end. Eli wouldn't fucking tell him anything and Connor decided to stick around like a lost puppy. Still, Gavin kept his secret. If androids were legal to live like humans now, then he didn't have to fear being fired or discontinued or thrown in a dump anymore. But that didn't mean he wanted to deal with all the shit that came with the freedom. All the sideways glances, the new hate crimes, the restricted laws. No, fuck that. 

So he kept his walls up. He pushed people away, he kept relationships to one night stands. He only went out with Tina and her wife, babysat their kids when they needed. But outside of that, his life was just... just fucking lonely as shit.

Then Nines came.

The RK900 model with Connor's face and an attitude like a brick wall. Sure, when you look closer, he didn't look like Connor much at all. He had less moles and a sharper jaw, and his eyes. God fuck his eyes. Whereas Connor had these coffee brown eyes that always seemed wide like saucers, the RK900 had these sharp, ice colored eyes that just looked like he was constantly judging you. He was taller than Connor, which was un-fucking-fair because Connor was already taller than Gavin, and these broad shoulders and trim waist. God he looked like a fucking wet dream and Gavin hated it. What he hated even more though, was the fact that the fucking bot still acted like a bot. Connor had mentioned that he was a deviant, that he and Marcus had found him in Cyberlife's basement after the Jericho group had taken over the company and woken him up. But apparently the shit was Connor's upgrade. He was built in with all kinds of fucking firewalls and virus fighters that it took Marcus _and_  Connor to break through to him. And even then, RK900 struggled with his deviant side. It was like he was stuck in the middle, unsure how to proceed. He still followed orders like he couldn't help it, but only if he agreed with them. It was a fine line and Gavin wasn't sure where that line was drawn and it freaked him out.

And of course, because why the fuck not, he was assigned as Gavin's partner. Even though Gavin didn't _need_  a partner; even though Gavin had the second highest success rate in the precinct right behind Anderson and Connor; even though Gavin had made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with androids getting anywhere near him. But Fowler had told him to either take the partner, or hand in his badge. And fuck if that didn't sting. Because despite everything that had happened to him, he worked hard for that fuckin' badge. He earned it and he wasn't about to hand it over just because some fucking bot was taking the desk across from him. So he agreed.

And though he's reluctant to actually say so, it wasn't actually that bad.

They clashed a lot at the beginning of course, but RK900 turned out to be a lot like Tina. He brushed Gavin's insults and rants off like they were a mere annoyance, batted them away like flies. Other times he shot back just as sharp as Gavin. It was probably that fact that had Gavin giving in to the inevitability of their sort of friendship. And it was a friendship.

Their insults quickly became banter; Gavin's punches quickly became gentle shoves; his anger quickly became laughter. To the outside world, it might still look like they hated each other, but Gavin knew it was different.

And the thing that scared him the most, is that he hadn't even noticed the fucking bot had pole vaulted over his wall without a scratch, gotten so close before Gavin even knew he was there. He hadn't noticed when the bot smiled at being given the nickname Nines; he hadn't noticed when there was a cup of coffee (good fucking coffee too, not the shit from the station) sitting on his desk every morning when he came in; he hadn't even noticed that he'd been able to read Nines' LED like an emotional beacon. Even when Tina joked about getting some dick, Gavin laughed it off as a joke, completely missing the soft look she was giving him in return.

God what a fucking idiot he was.

Maybe if he had paid more attention. Maybe if he had kept his guard up. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

Maybe he wouldn't be standing in front of Nines in the break room completely blindsided with his jaw hanging open and the cup of coffee he'd just gotten slipping out of his fingers.

And of course, of fucking course, Nines caught it before it could completely escape his grasp, his LED spinning a soft yellow and his perfect eyebrows pinched together in a rare show of confusion. "Detective?"

And Gavin, like the word smith he was, just blinked. "Huh?"

"I asked if you would like to accompany me for dinner some time this week.  I do believe that is the first step in courting someone, is it not?"

God, even the way his tongue wrapped around the word 'courting' was hot. (And who the fuck even used that word anymore?) 

Gavin couldn't help but scold himself. He'd been so fucking careful for _ten years_ , how the hell had he not noticed that his wall now had a Nines shaped gap in it? He swallowed, letting his hand fall back to the counter to hold himself up and he cleared his throat. "Dinner? _Courting?_ " He asked, because he had to make sure he heard that right.

"If I have over stepped, detective, forgive me," Nines started, his LED spinning yellow, yellow, yellow. "I am aware that office romances are often frowned upon, however I-" the machine paused, uncharacteristically at a loss for words and Gavin couldn't help but think it was the cutest thing in the fucking world. "I would understand if you said no, detective."

But that was the fucking problem wasn't it? Gavin didn't want to say no. Nines was already past the wall, there was no going back. Gavin had let his guard down, let the android get too close and now there was no pushing him away. He'd already seen all of Gavin's nasty attitude and his insults. He knew how sharp the detective was and nothing Gavin said would be able to build a new wall between them, nothing shorter than the Truthtm  at least. Not to mention the fact that Gavin didn't _want_  to push Nines away again. Fuck, he'd missed having friends. Tina had been the only one in a long time and even they didn't hang out much outside of work, not since she'd gone and gotten herself a family. Just the thought of losing Nines, as a partner or as a friend, sent a sharp stab of pain through his circuits. 

So yeah, he wanted to say yes. But Yes meant getting even closer than they already were. Yes meant letting the android in to his life, his past, his bed... and Gavin wasn't sure if he could do that or not. Yes meant the possibility of Nines leaving later on down the road when he found out the Truthtm. 

"I- what? Why?

"I thought that was rather obvious," Nines said with a roll of the eyes, though Gavin could easily see past the insult. He could tell that the android was nervous just by the rapid spinning yellow on his temple. Nines had never been good at the emotional stuff, or the communication stuff. It's one of the reasons he and Gavin got along so well because neither one liked to deal with it, so they just didn't. "I am attracted to you, detective." He said bluntly. "And if your heart rate and pupil dilation is anything to go by, you are attracted to me as well. Am I wrong?"

It was a rhetorical question, of course it was, but he scoffed anyway, jutting a hand out towards the taller man. "Have you looked in a fucking mirror? Of course you're not wrong. Just- why me, you idiot? I'm..." _an android_ , almost slipped off his tongue but he cleared his throat before it could, trapping back in the darkness where it belonged, "not exactly dating material," he finished lamely.

"I happen to disagree," Nines replied with a shrug. He took a moment to set the coffee on the counter and folded his hands all proper like behind his back, like he was giving a fucking presentation or something. "You are fiercely loyal to your friends and job, even if you pretend not to be, and you care quite a lot about this city and it's people. You may be harsh and... full of bullshit as the Lieutenant might say, but you clearly care about those you have sworn to protect. I believe those are amicable properties when choosing a partner. Even further, we get along well and are attracted to each other, so it is logical that we... give it a shot, I believe is the phrase."

Gavin could feel the rush of Thirium pumping under his skin and he knew his cheeks were bright red with embarrassment. Still, he didn't know what to say. Nines' stress levels slowly ticked up in the corner of Gavin's vision, clearly nervous about the detective's reaction, though aside from his LED, you'd never tell.

"Fuck Nines, I-" his words got caught in his throat and he swallowed them down, running a hand messily through his hair. God did he just want to say yes. "You don't want me as a fucking partner. I'm a shit partner at work, and I'll be a shit one at home too. Trust me. I haven't been with anyone longer than a one night stand in over ten years, Tina is my only fucking friend other than you, and if you haven't noticed, I've got all kinds of shit wrong with me," he argued, shaking his head. "Just because I think you're hot and you're the only person who can stand me for long periods of time, doesn't mean this could fucking work." Even if he really fucking wanted it to.

"Pardon the interuption," Nines said, "but shouldn't  your worth as a partner be something I can decide for myself?" When Gavin didn't answer, Nines sighed. "Perhaps I should not have been so strong in my proposal. Would it be best to give you some time to think on the matter, or are you confident in your refusal?" Gavin opened his mouth to respond, only to freeze when an email popped up in the bottom of his HUD. Nines' LED cycled slower now and he frowned at the incoming file. "Ah, it would seem we have a case anyhow."

And fuck him for being so... fucking polite about everything. Gavin didn't know what to do with polite.

That tiny scrap of human left in him, the one hidden behind walls and wires and bombs, yearned for the connection, for something more. It had him reaching out before he could think better of it, fingers latching onto Nines' skin as the android started to turn away. Nines paused, looking back at him patiently as Gavin struggled to figure out what he was supposed to fucking say. 

"Nines, I-" he paused, dropping his hand and tugging at the sleeve of his own jacket. A nervous tick that Nines loved to point out anytime he noticed. He didn't this time. "It's not a no," he finally mumbled, trying to ignore the slight widening of the android's eyes. His voice was so quiet that even his own processors could barely pick it up and he cleared his throat. "I just- I'm no good, okay? I got shit to figure out before anything could... I mean... fuck, just, rain check, okay?"

When he finally looked up, his storm grey eyes meeting ice blue, Nines' LED was back to it's calm blue and there was a too gentle smile on his lips that Gavin rarely got to see. The android nodded, the matter settled, and gestured behind him. "Shall we, detective?"

 


	2. Tina to the Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE IS SELF HARM IN THIS CHAPTER!!!  
> Not the actual act, but the aftermath of it, so be aware please.

9 Years and Four months ago

 

Tina Chen liked to think of herself as a relatively calm person. A bitch sometimes, sure, but calm none the less. That is until someone interrupts a dream of her finally marrying Ellen and Portia with the loud cat screech of a ring tone she had set for them. She barely had time to glance at the clock- two am?!- before answering.

"This better be fuckin' good, Gav, it's too early for this shit," she grumbled into her pillow, resting her phone on her cheek. "The fuck you want?" When her best friend didn't answer, she pulled the phone away and squinted at the bright light for a moment to make sure it was still on and she didn't accidentally deny the call. "Gav? I swear if you fucking drunk dialed me this early in the morning when we have shift at six, I will murder you."

"It was supposed to be blue..."

Now, Tina and Gavin had known each other for almost four years now. They went to the academy together, joined the force together, got in bar fights together, even lived in the same apartment building together. Gavin had quickly become her best friend. So when she heard the slight shake of his voice, so uncharacteristically weak, she was wide awake, scrambling up in bed and frantically reaching for the switch on her bedside lamp. "Gav?" She smacked something with her hand, sending it shattering to the ground but her fingers found the little tassel on her lamp and she pulled it, illuminating the room. "Fuck, Gav? Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"I thought..." his breath hitched over the other line and Tina was shoving herself out of bed, cursing when she cut her foot on the glass that had shattered on her floor. "I didn't mean for it to bleed so much but it did."

Bleed? 

"I'm on my way up, okay," she promised, forgoing her pants and instead just snatching her keys and badge off the table in case she needed it. "I'm on my way up, don't fucking do anything stupid, okay? Just keep talking to me." 

His breath was ragged over the phone, pitchy and uneven like he was trying not to cry and Tina pushed herself out of her apartment and towards the stairs. Part of her was glad that it was so early in the morning so that no one would see her running through the halls in nothing but a hoodie and her underwear. Gavin was only one floor above her, so in no time at all she was all but slamming into his door, her hands shaking as she tried to shove her keys in the lock. She almost sobbed with relief when she finally got it in, only for an actual sob to wreck its way out of her throat at the scene before her. 

Gavin's apartment had the same open layout that her own had. The kitchen and living room were joined together, separated only by a kitchen island between them, and the bedroom and bathroom were down a short hall to the right of the front door. And Gavin, he was a neat freak, always had been. He kept his rooms tidy, his apartment clean... so coming in to see furniture tipped and books tumbled to the floor was a bit of a shock. Even more shocking however, was Gavin himself. He  was leaned up against the kitchen island, legs sprawled out under him and hands resting in his lap like he was too tired to move. His head was down, so she couldn't see his face through his long hair, but she could see the blood leaking from a deep cut on the inside of his arm and the shaking of his shoulders.

"Fuck, fucking shit," Tina breathed, slamming the door shut behind her and skidding to her knees at his side. "Gavin, what the hell did you do?"

His wrist was slick with blood as she wrapped her fingers around it, trying desperately to staunch the blood flow as she searched for anything nearby to help. His head lolled slightly, his body tilting until he was leaning against her. From this angle, she could see his eyes were open, blinking lazily and there were tear tracks across his cheeks, but still he didn't say anything. She cursed again, snatching a clean looking dish towel off of the floor and wrapping it around the wound. 

"Here," she said, "just, just fucking stay with me okay? I'm going to call an ambulan-"

Gavin reacted to that, his whole body flinching away from her and he kicked his legs out like he wanted to stand, but with her hold on his wrist he couldn't get far. 

"No- no no no no no." He repeated the word like a mantra, shaking his head and tugging at her hand like he had the strength to get it off. "I can't, I can't-"

Anger and fear roiled in Tina's stomach, her own tears filling her eyes now as she struggled to hold him. "Gavin, fuck, you're going to bleed out! What the hell do you expect me to do, huh? I have to-"

"Call Chloe," he interrupted, his fingers scratching across her arm desperately until he seemed to just completely give up, his whole body slumping against hers again. He dug his face into the spot between her shoulder and neck, little hiccups escaping his throat. It scared her, not only because Tina had never seen Gavin look so broken, but also because part of her desperately wanted to listen to him even though the cop in her knew an ambulance was a better fucking idea. "Call Chloe, please."

"Who is Chloe? Gavin, you need a hospital."

"They won't help me," he argued, his voice barely above a whisper.

She didn't miss the way he said 'wont' instead of 'cant'.

And god fuck she didn't understand what had her listening to him in the first place, what had her reaching for Gavin's phone in his pocket and searching for a contact named Chloe. She'd never heard of the girl, or at least Gavin had never talked about her. But then again, Tina was his only friend and he didn't talk much about his family. Fuck, her hands were shaking so hard she almost missed the contact completely, leaving a small smear of blood across the screen when she finally managed to click on the name. It only rang once before a sweet voice answered. 

"Gavin, it's lovely to hear from you again. Elijah will be most excited to speak-"

"This is Officer Chen from the DPD," she interrupted, no time for pleasantries. "Gavin is fucking bleeding out because he's a fucking idiot and I'm stupid enough to listen to his dumb ass when he told me to call you instead of a fucking hospital, so you better damn well be able to help him."

There was a half second of silence before the woman spoke again, this time a bit muffled, like she had a hand over the mic and was talking to someone else. "Please forgive the interruption, sir, but there is an emergency." Someone spoke back, too far away for Tina to hear. "No sir, this needs to be tended to immediately, it pertains to the Reed situation."

"Listen, if you don't fucking tell me what's going on, I'm going to call an ambulance," she demanded, glancing down at the towel under her hands. It was growing slowly more red, though Tina couldn't tell if it was slowing down or speeding up.

"No need for that," a new voice told her, this one deep and obviously male, and somewhat familiar, though she wasn't sure how. "We are on our way now, eta four minutes and forty three seconds. Do you think you can keep him stable for that long?"

Tina didn't bother asking who the man was or what happened to Chloe, she didn't have time. "I think so, I-" She lifted the rag just enough to take a peek at the wound, her whole body sagging with relief when she noticed the blood flow slowing down. "I've got a rag on the wound and it looks like it's slowing, but he's lost a lot of fucking blood and I'm surprised he's even still fucking awake." The voice on the other line hummed before whispering some words to someone she couldn't see. "Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"It seems my brother is not coping as well as I had hoped he would," the man commented. "Officer Chen, correct? Is this Tina Chen?"

"Yes, I live on the floor below Gavin," she answered, still a bit in shock to the fact that she'd called Gavin's brother.

They hadn't talked much about Gavin's life before the academy, just like she didn't talk much about hers. Gavin had only told her that his father was an abusive asshole, his mother was dead, and he had a brother somewhere that he barely talked to anymore. She hadn't ever met the man, only heard of him through Gavin once, then again when she'd been told he was taking Gavin to a specialist after the shootout the year before. Still, she had no idea what to expect. Gavin didn't have any pictures of his family around the apartment or on his phone. He had mentioned that he and  his brother had been close when they were younger, but after Gavin's injury, they grew apart fast.

Suffice it to say, Tina was not expecting fucking Elijah Kamski, CEO of the most powerful company in the world, to come slamming through the door, his beautiful prototype android in tow.

"Holy fuck, you're Elijah Kamski."

The man ignored her, dropping to his knees beside Gavin and pressing his fingers against his pulse point, not even flinching when he got blood all over his probably thousand dollar suit. "Chloe, be a dear and deal with the officer, I'll get started here."

"Deal with- I'm not fucking leaving!" She argued, yanking her arm out of the blonde's grip and turning her glare onto the CEO. "Listen here, you fuckwad, I'm Gavin's best friend. We've been through shit together and I'm not about to just leave him here with a man he hasn't talked to in six months. I'm not fucking leaving, and if you force me to, then I'm fucking calling an ambulance!"

Kamski didn't seem surprised at her harsh tone, instead staring up at her with grey eyes so similar to Gavin's that she's shocked she didn't connect the dots before. He seemed to be studying her for a few moments before glancing at the Chloe model he'd brought with him. "Very well. I know Gavin trusts you," the man responded with a shrug, and part of Tina was fuming at the fact that he was so calm when Gavin was bleeding out before his very eyes. "I must insist however that you sign a nondisclosure agreement to anything you see here." He nodded to her side and Tina turned to see Chloe pulling a tablet out of a briefcase and holding it out in her direction. "There are things about my brother that must be kept a secret for his safety and you need to know that if you jeopardize that safety in any way, I will destroy your life and your career."

Tina didn't doubt it. When a man like Elijah Kamski told you he could wipe you off the mat, he meant it. So Tina didn't argue when Chloe handed her a stylus and she signed the form with a shaky hand, not even bothering to read it.

"Wonderful, now  if you'll sit behind him here, yes like that," he ordered, shifting Tina to sit with Gavin's head in her lap and letting Chloe take her place at staunching the blood flow. "I do hope you care enough about my brother for this not to change anything. He desperately needs a friend in his corner, especially when he won't accept me anymore."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Kamski sighed, grey eyes searching hers before he cut Gavin's shirt open and pressed to fingers to a spot just above the man's navel. Tina almost thought she was still dreaming when a clean blue line sliced up the center of Gavin's stomach and chest before sliding open to reveal wires and panels and a bright blue, glowing Thirium Pump. "My brother is an android, Miss Chen."

\--

When Gavin woke up the next day, he had a headache the size of Russia and his body felt weighted down with rocks. The curtains were pulled closed and a blanket was tossed over his body. And where the fuck was his shirt?

God he felt like he had the worlds worst hangover.

He glanced over at the clock and groaned at the time, knowing he was going to get his ass chewed out by Fowler again for being late. Not to mention hes going to have to explain to Tina what the hell happened last night... Fuck he hated talking about feelings, but she was the first one he thought to call. She was the only person in the whole goddamn world that he trusted and part of him was absolutely terrified of how she was going to react.

Something clanked in the next room, making him tense, and he listened to the sound of food being poured in a bowl. Either for Tina or the cat, he wasn't sure, but it meant she was at least still here.

He wasn't sure if that was a god thing or not.

He debated going back to sleep or not, or maybe pretending to until she left, but he knew this wasn't something he'd be able to avoid.

"Oh good, you're awake. Thought I was going to have to plug you in or something," Tina snarked, swaggering into the bedroom with a cereal bowl in one hand and a Cyberlife bottle in the other. She handed him the bottle and sat down in a chair next to the bed that Gavin hadn't noticed before. Had she been there all night? Watching over him? "Here, your brother said to drink all of it. There's a few more in the fridge that you're supposed to spread out for the next three days."

He nodded, pushing himself into a sitting position and chugging half the bottle just to give him something to do with his hands. 

He didn't say anything for a while, letting Tina eat her cereal in peace. Her calm was setting his nerves on fire, not knowing what she was thinking, if she hated him or not. He didnt want to be the first one to bring up the elephant in the room, so he kept his eyes down on the bottle, tracing the design with his fingers.

"You're an asshole, you know?" Gavin flinched at the words, but he didn't dare disagree with her, only nodding along. "I mean after all this time of being best friends, you never once thought it was important that Elijah fucking Kamski was your brother?"

Wait... What?

His head shot up, grey eyes meeting brown and he gapped at the woman.

"Like, Gav, you're fuckin' loaded! We could have been living on Penn street or in the fucking Bahamas every summer. What the fuck dude?"

That... Was not what he had expected her to say, and he opened his mouth a few times trying to find some sort of response. A quick scan told him she was perfectly calm, and not lying at all. She wasnt shifty, or nervous, or upset. She was just... There. It released something from Gavin's chest and he felt like crying if he could. "I- I'm sorry?"

"Yeah, you fuckin' should be," Tina spat back, though he could hear the joke in her tone. There was another brief silence before she blew out a breath, setting her bowl on the table. And fuck, this must be it. His muscles tensed as she leaned forward, arms resting on her knees and eyes watching him carefully. "But seriously, Gav. Are you alright?"

Again, confusion swam,through him when she took a different turn and his stress levels were going haywire in the corner of his vision.

"Why?"

"Well fuck, I do'nt know," she scoffed, tossing her hands in the air and rolling her eyes. "I get a phone call at two in the fucking morning from my best friend who just tried killing himself. Am I supposed to think you're all hunky-fucking-dory?"

"But I'm..." He paused, eyebrows tugging together. He remembered her staying until Eli got there. He remembered her signing the contract, remembered waking up throughout the night when Eli prodded at him. Did he imagine it? Did she not know?

The glass bottle in his hands reminded him otherwise, though, and he frowned down at it.

"Why are you here?" His voice was weaker than he wanted it to be, and he wanted to blame it on the blue blood loss, but he couldnt lie to himself. Whatever game she thought she was playing, it wasn't funny.

"Fuck Gavin, is this because you're an android?" His head shot up at the question and Tina sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm not gonna fucking lie, its weird and I'm a little freaked out. But I'm not going to try and lie to myself and say you're not human. Because you are. Or well, your not, but you act like- just, fuck it. You're still you." When Gavin didn't say anything, his eyebrows pulled down in confusion, Tina shrugged. "Kamski told me that you were human when we met. And as far as I can tell, nothing has changed. I mean, I've never been a fan of androids," he flinched a bit at the fact but she continued, "but you aren't like them. You and that Chloe he keeps close, you're special. You're something new. I cant deny you're still the same asshole I've always known.  I mean I have questions, a fucking lot of them. But i'm not going to push you. You didn't trust me enough with this, so this has got to be stressful. Ill wait until you trust me enough for the rest of it." She put a gentle hand on his and waited for him to look up at her before smiling. "But Gav, i'm not leaving you just because you have a pump instead of a heart."

He wanted to cry, really wanted to fucking sob his eyes out and crush her in his arms. But that was weird and he couldn't cry and Tina would just shove him away anyway, so he sniffled and gently shoved her hand away. "Fuck, T, you expecting a kiss or something? Enough with the touchy feely crap." He was brushing it off, but she smiled anyway because this? This was familiar territory. Them being mushy and then bro-hugging it out. 

He finished his thirium before straightening his back and turning towards her fully. "I do fuckin' trust you, okay?" She raised an eyebrow and Gavin sighed. "I told Eli when... When everything happened that you were the only one allowed to know if something happened. Its why he had the non disclosure ready for you. But i just... I wanted to be fucking normal i guess. I didn't want anything to change."

"Nothings going to change," she promised, before her smile turned into a smirk. "Except now I can joke about you running out of batteries when you fuck up."

"Har har. Just-" he rubbed at the back of his neck and waved a hand in her directions. "Just ask your fuckin' questions." Tina blinked at him, surprise evident on her face and Gavin sneered. "Well? Go on before I fuckin' change my mind. I trust you, damn it, so... I don't know, fuckin' ask already."

"Oh, okay," she breathed, lips turning down in a frown. He could tell she hadn't expected him to offer up answers so freely. "What do you miss the most?"

Well... He thought shed ask about what happened first. But yeah, that's an easy start. "Coffee," he groaned, shoulders slumping. "Fuck I miss coffee so much."

"Wait- okay but I've seen you drink it before!"

"Yeah, Elijah... Built me with storage space for minimal amounts of food and drink so it didn't look suspicious that I never ate. I cant take in too much, but my body basically breaks it down into extra energy.  Cant eat anything too greasy or drink alcohol anymore though. Fucks with my systems."

Tina hummed and nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. Especially with your sudden heath craze after the accident." Gavin shrugged and waited for the next question.

 He was glad she started with an easy one, something gentle to get him comfortable with talking about it. He hadn't had anyone outside of his brother and Chloe, and after what happened... Well he didn't talk to Elijah much. Not yet, he just... Couldn't. Chloe on the other hand, the original one to pass the test, the one Eli refused to sell? She was magnificent. She was like him, sort of. She had her own personality, her own free will. Gavin didn't know how, but she did. He called her every once in a while with questions... Or just to talk. They'd become cash friends, though nothing near his friendship with Tina... He had to admit he was glad the other officer had accepted her so easily. Losing her might have been the last straw.

"Okay, uh. Do you have to like, charge or anything? Like the other ones?" She asked, not in an insulting way either, but just genuinely curious. "I obviously don't have to worry about you bleeding blue," he flinched at that but she kept going, "but do i have to worry about you like, shutting down or losing power or something?"

And the questions went on and on. 

Most of them consisted of clarifying questions so that Tina knew what to do if anything happened, others were questions Gavin had no answer to. But Tina either knew to stay away from the deeper questions, or just didn't care about the answers to them. It was... A huge fucking relief.

"Okay, serious question though, then were going out to get me something greasy and you something green, okay?"

"Sure," Gavin nodded, waving for her to continue.

"Do you still have a dick?"

Gavin threw a pillow in her face in response. 

Yeah... Yeah, he figured this was alright.


	3. Testing Friendships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i wrote this chapter on my phone originally and it was all formatted weird, so I went back and edited it. So it looks better now and I got some of the stupid mistakes out of it.  
> Also self hatred and self harm mentioned in this chapter.

Gavin Reed was a fucking wreck.

It'd been a week since Nines asked him out. And in that time he had done fuck all about it.

Sure, they had a massive case slam in their face that very day, one with bodies piling up so quick it looked like a serial killer on the rise, but still. Gavin couldn't help but feel like shit. He had barely slept (or well... Recharged) since the case started and the longer it went on, the more his nerves started to fray at the edges, especially with the image of Nines doing that sweet fucking smile at him playing on repeat in the corner of his vision.

As far as he could tell, Nines had completely dropped the subject, seemingly giving Gavin whatever space he needed to figure his shit out. And while the detective was glad for the opportunity, it also frustrated him because he just didn't know what the fuck to do.

Still, the android was careful not to make things awkward. He still brought Gavin his daily coffee, still joked and bantered and rolled his eyes. And if he leaned a little closer than normal when showing Gavin something, brushing their hands together or letting his breath dust across the detectives neck to send shivers down his spine, well who was he to complain?

But fuck did it make it harder to say no.

All the touches and laughs. The gentle smiles that Nines only let Gavin see. It was too much and not enough all at the same time.

Fuck, he needed help.

"Nines asked me out."

Okay, so he probably shouldn't have forcefully dragged Tina into the evidence locker for that much needed help, but he was desperate and she was the only one who might actually understand. Except she was standing there speechless, staring at him like he just told her the sun was turning green.

"Tina! Snap the fuck out of it and tell me what to do!"

"What to-" she blinked, eyes focusing and lips turning down in a frown. "What do you mean- you didn't say yes?"

Her tone left no room for argument, and Gavin recoiled a bit before answering. "I mean, I didn't exactly say no, but-"

Tina interrupted him with a smack to the arm, then another. "You fucking idiot! What the fuck did you say no for? You're gonna make me lose my money!" Gavin sputtered at the onslaught of attacks, ducking quickly and sprinting around one of the tables in the room.

"You were fucking betting on me?"

"No shit!" She spat. "Practically half the precinct is in on it. It's split four ways. Nines asks you, you ask him, he says no or you say no. I had a hundred bucks on him asking and you saying yes, goddammit. So you better have a damn good reason for saying no."

Gavin didn't answer immediately, unsure of what to say. He'd known Tina for a long ass time and for over half of that time, he'd been an android. He knew she didn't care, but still... even with the revolution and the new laws and Connor and Nines... something akin to anxiety pooled in his stomach every time he thought about telling the truth. Especially to Nines. Fuck, he'd been so careful for so long. He was still running a program in the back of his mind trying to figure out where he went wrong, what he let slip to show to Nines that he liked him. But Nines was sneaky. He had snuck past Gavin's wall before the detective even knew he was there and now what the fuck was he going to do? Because now he knew Nines liked him back. He knew it. And if he said no, he'd have to deal with that knowledge every day the android gave him coffee or every night when he gently pushed Gavin out the door to get some rest. 

But if he said yes... then he ran the risk of Nines finding out the truth and then leaving him, hating him. Maybe he would switch precincts, or worse, just ask for a new partner and Gavin would have to watch him work with someone else from afar, knowing he was hating him. And then, whatever tenuous friendship Gavin had started with Connor and Hank would fade away because Nines was their family and if Gavin fucked anything up, they'd drop him too.

And he would once again be left with just Tina.

Which all in all wasn't terrible. It's how he'd lived for almost ten years now, but he'd gotten used to having friends again. The thought of them leaving him just seemed so... lonely.

"Gav, is this about... fuck, you know he's not going to care," Tina said gently, her voice losing all sense of anger and her brown eyes melting with understanding. She leaned her hands on the table between them and frowned. "First of all, he is one himself, and second of all, if you just explained everything like you did to me, he's not going to care."

"But I lied to him," Gavin argued, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. Guilt roiled in his stomach at the thought that he not only lied, but he also treated every other android like complete and utter shit, even Connor. "I lied to everyone and once they figure that out... shit Tina, I called them so many names, treated them like the scum of the earth. What kind of person does that to their own kind?" He looked up at her with pleading eyes and sank himself into a chair. "Even after the revolution when Nines first became my partner, I treated him like he was fucking nothing."

Tina sighed, circling the table and leaning up against it next to him, her arms crossed over her chest. "So you're an asshole, he knows that. Besides, there are a lot of reasons behind why you did what you did all those years. You've changed now, and he knows it, so do the others. You're still an ass," she shrugged, smirking softly, "but you've changed. Hell, Connor even likes you now and Hank tolerates you. Besides, I think Nines is fully aware that you're a lying bastard and he still likes you. I think you need to give him the chance. He might surprise you."

"Or he might hate me," Gavin grumbled. "Then Connor will hate me because they talk about everything, then Hank will hate me because they're all gross and in love. And I'll be left with you, Elijah, and Chloe again."

"Ouch," Tina drawled, rolling her eyes when he stuck his tongue out at her. "Gav, I really think you're overthinking this." But it was obvious that he didn't believe her. Gavin always had this self-hatred, ever since he first woke up as an android, that she'd never managed to break through. Sure, he learned to live with what he was, but mostly by ignoring it. If there was something Gavin hated more than anything in the world, it was the plastic under his skin. And sure, she'd had to pull him from the edge a few times over the years, convince him that dying wasn't going to fix anything, but Gavin kept living. 

It was late one night at a stakeout when she finally figured out why. She had been trying to take a nap while Gavin watched out for their perp. She still wasn't sure to this day whether he knew she was awake or not, but he'd just very quietly told her why he could never follow through with it.

"It's because of Elijah, you know," he muttered quietly, eyes trained on the darkness outside and his head resting on his hand. "He's an ass... but he's already lost one brother. I don't know if he could stand to lose another."

"Maybe that's what you should do then," Tina suddenly said, coming out of her memories with an idea. Gavin raised an eyebrow up at her and waited. "Maybe you should kind of, I don't know, come out or whatever. But slowly," she said before Gavin had the chance to interrupt. "You're all worried about Hank and Connor hearing it from Nines, so maybe tell them yourself first. I honestly don't think either of them will give a shit, but it'd be a good way to kind of let the news out and then apologize for it right then and there to Connor. Then you have them on your side already for when you tell Nines."

Gavin frowned, biting his lip and tapping his fingers on the table as he thought. He didn't immediately disagree with the idea. It was actually a pretty good one, but the anxiety of telling anyone was still there. "Wouldn't Nines be mad that I didn't tell him first?"

"I doubt it, as long as he hears it from you. Just make sure whoever you tell knows that  you'd like to break it to Nines yourself," she compromised. "Come on Gav, you don't deserve the pity you put yourself through. Give them the benefit of the doubt. And if anything happens, you know I'll be there for you, and you know Kamski will rip them a new one."

So that's how Gavin found himself in front of Connor and Hank's desks later that day after Nines had gone to get them coffee. He had a timer set in the corner of his vision for how long he had before the android got back within hearing range, so he had to make this quick if he expected to get anything out of it.

"Good afternoon, detective!" Connor greeted with his usual cheer, and Gavin had to force himself not to grimace or glare. Connor had his hand plastered to the computer screen, though he pulled it away when Gavin walked up out of politeness, and Hank was leaned back in his own chair, a file laying over his face to hide the fact that he was trying to sleep. A quick scan however told Gavin that Hank was still very much awake, and probably listening. "Did you need something from us? Nines told me the case you're working on is a very difficult one. Three murders in one week doesn't look very good."

Gavin waved a hand through the air, brushing the topic aside. He didn't have time for small talk. Nines was scary efficient with his tasks and Gavin probably had less than two minutes to ask his question before Nines got back.

"We've got it handled," he promised, shaking his head. "I actually had a uh... personal matter I wanted to talk to you both about." The words came out rushed and a bit stuttered. He could feel the pinched glower on his face as he shoved his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hiked up to his ears. God fuck this was uncomfortable. Gavin hated emotional shit as much as he hated apologizing, but he knew Tina was right and if he could get Hank and Connor on his side, maybe Nines wouldn't leave him once he found out.

:53 seconds remaining

Connor was staring at him with wide eyes and Hank had pulled the file down just enough for his eyes to peek out over it, narrowed in contemplation like he was trying to decide if Gavin was serious or just trying to fuck with them.

"Is everything alright? Should I call Nines-"

"No," Gavin interrupted quickly, heat rushing to his cheeks when Hank snorted. "No, I uh... fuck just- can I come over tonight? Without Nines."

The partners shared a look and they did that weird little silent conversation that they always did. A raised eyebrow here, a gentle smile there, some shoulder shrugging. Before Connor turned back to Gavin and nodded, his lips spreading into a polite smile. "Of course, detective."

"Fuckin' great," he said, heaving a sigh and turning around before either of them could pepper him with questions. Tina shot him a quick thumbs up to which he replied with a straight middle finger, dropping into his seat just before Nines managed to return.

:00 seconds remaining

Nines set the coffee down with that gentle smile that Gavin love seeing. "Your coffee, detective."

\--

The Anderson house was just as he remembered it. It'd been a long ass time since Gavin had been there, not since Cole was still alive, but he'd known Hank for as long as he'd been on the force so it wasn't an unfamiliar sight. What was though, was the life that seemed to flow from it. The porch light was on and Gavin could hear laughter and dog barking coming from inside. It made his skin itch and burn with nerves and he tugged on his jacket sleeves.

Fuck he wished he had asked Tina to come with him. She would have been a good shoulder to lean on, or a good hand to shove him forward when his feet wouldn't take him any further than the front steps.

God he was nervous.

He'd never actually had to tell anyone what he was before. The only three people in his life who knew either helped create him, or they found out under... unfortunate circumstances. And though he had practiced what he was going to say over and over again in his head, calculated which line of conversation would be the most successful, he still had no idea what the fuck he was doing or what he was going to say. Shit, he couldn't even force himself to knock on the front door, his hands were shaking too much.

That problem was fixed for him however when the door was pulled open for him, Connor smiling sweetly from inside. "Hello Detective. Would you like to come in, or remain on the porch all night?"

The banter had Gavin snorting and rolling his eyes as his shoulders slumped in relief. He shoved past Connor, pausing to toe his shoes off in the doorway where Hank and Connor's were resting as well, before following the android towards where he remembered the kitchen being.

Fuck he really wished he had brought Tina with him, she'd have gotten a kick out of seeing both hardasses out of work.

Hank had half of his hair tied up out of his face, the other half falling just above his shoulders, and he wore a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt of some band that Gavin didn't know. Connor though, that's what really had Gavin holding back a snort (and yes, he might have snapped a mental photo or two and sent it to his best friend.) Connor was out of his usual business suit that he'd started wearing to work and instead had on a pair of tight fitting jeans and a Police Academy hoodie on that was three times too big for him. The sleeves were rolled up a few times to reach his wrists and it was so faded that even if Gavin hadn't known that Connor never attended the academy, he'd have known the hoodie wasn't his.

"Would you like a coffee, Detective? Dinner will be ready soon," Connor offered, already headed towards a coffee maker in the corner.

But Gavin shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Nah, I'm good. I uh... Didn't wanna interrupt your dinner or anything." Gavin groaned inwardly at how pathetic and awkward he sounded. Not having friends for so long outside of Tina really did a number on his social cues.

"Nonsense," Connor argued, gesturing to the round table in the middle of the room that had two plates set up. Gavin assumed neither were for Connor as the android didn't eat. "Please sit. We made enough for everyone."

"No i really didn't-"

Hank groaned, turning slightly and pointing his fork at the detective. "For fucks sake, Reed, just sit down or he's going to go all mother hen on you. Jesus."

So he did, and he waited impatiently for his plate to be filled and the other two men to join him at the table. His leg jiggled under the table and he kept his hands in his pockets, staring at the salad in front of him. It looked fucking great, and he wished he could still eat things without having to rely on memory sensors to remember what they tasted like.

"Is something wrong with your food, Detective?" Connor asked with a soft frown. And fuck, now Gavin understood how Hank gave in so easily with that puppy dog face. "I asked Officer Chen what you preferred."

Hank snorted around his forkfull of food. "And she told you he didn't care. So Connor over here took it upon himself to ask Nines."

Gavin's eyes widened and his thirium pump stuttered in his chest. "Nines?"

"Yes, he pays quite a lot of attention to you," Connor grinned proudly, like a mother speaking of her honor roll child. "He told me you had a rather healthy streak when it came to food. Nothing greasy or overly fatty." 

"I'm sure the food is fine," Gavin said reluctantly, feeling a bit bad that Connor had done so much work for him. But he honestly hadn't planned on eating dinner and Nines had forced him to eat lunch earlier so his food reserves were already full. "This just isn't why I'm here."

Connor's frowned turned into an almost pout and Hank's eyes narrowed into a glare, as if to ask Gavin how he could dare to hurt the feelings of such a precious creature. "Well you can fuckin tell us why you're here while you eat the damned salad. If I have to suffer, then you have to."

"I can't," the detective growled back, sighing and finally raising a hand to run through his hair. Fuck, he wasn't sure how he expected this night to go, but this wasn't it. "Listen, I just fuckin- I wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else. And Tina had the bright fuckin idea for me to start with you guys because she's convinced I'm being an idiot for freaking out about it so here I am. Okay? I'm,not here for your salad."

"If this is about Nines," Connor started, head ticking to the side slightly, "I must admit it was all rather obvious. But if you are here for our permission or opinion in the matter, then fear not, detective because you have our complete support."

"Permission? Obvious? What the fuck are you talking about?"

Hank sighed and dropped his fork on the table. "He's talkin about you and Nines dating."

"Yes," Connor smiled. "I am very happy for you both, and I want you to know you have our support in the matter. Nines I rather smitten with you," he giggled, honest to god fucking giggled and Hank rolled his eyes.

"I'm not dating Nines," Gavin argued, launching out of his chair when the anxiety built up in his wires and he couldn't sit still anymore. Connor's LED flickered red at the sudden movement but settled on yellow moments later, watching in confusion as Gavin started pacing the floor. "I fuckin said no, okay? Well, okay I said I'd give him a rain check. But its not- I can't fucking date someone like Nines."

Gavin knew the moment the words left his mouth that they were the wrong thing to say as the tension in the room skyrocketed and Connor's LED cycled slowly to red.

"Someone like Nines?" The android asked, his voice scarily devoid of emotion, and Gavin was suddenly reminded of the fact that Connor was literally made to hunt. "I thought you had gotten over your prejudice against androids, Detective. I suppose I was wrong."

"Fuck," Gavin spat, glancing at Hank only to see a deadly glare aimed back at him. "That's not what I fuckin meant." He shook his head and his stress levels were slowly blinking at him in warning. "I meant he's not- I'm not. Fuck I don't even know what I'm trying to say," he cursed. His whole body was shaking and his stress levels were slowly turning red. "Its not Nines I'm fuckin worried about, its me."

Connor's glare didn't let up as he stood, reaching towards Gavin as if he was prepared to bodily remove him. "I agree, detective Reed. If you cannot get over the fact that we are androids, then perhaps you should Lea-"

Connor reached for Gavin and the detective panicked, his stress levels skyrocketing almost instantly and in a moment of pure self-preservation, he reached back. His fingers gripped around Connor's wrist so tight that the android in question flinched at the contact and Hank shot to his feet, a warning on his tongue. But Gavin wasn't paying attention, he was watching his skin peel away slowly, revealing the white casing underneath and Connor's hand followed suit immediately.

It was an onslaught of information on both sides. Gavin had never interfaced before, not even with Chloe. He ignored the fact that it was even possible, avoided the topic anytime it was brought up. So the sensation was completely new to him. Not to mention the fact that Connors systems were so much more advanced than his own. The second he connected, he could feel the spark of interfacing, feel Connor's investigative protocols kicking in and pulling up all the information he could. It felt like someone stuck a straw in his brain and was sucking every thought and memory out, shifting through it like sand all in a matter of milliseconds. 

It was too overwhelming and Gavin could feel his systems overheating. He tried to pull back, his using his other hand to push against Connor's grip, scratching at white plastic until they both snapped out of it and the older android stumbled backwards, crashing into the wall and sending a picture frame tumbling down behind him.

His head felt like a thunderstorm and his fingers were twitching uncontrollably, his artificial muscles tensing and releasing as if they couldn't decide to fight or flight.  

"Fuck," he gasped, wincing at the glitching sound of his voice. He was breathing heavy, his cooling fans working overtime to cool his systems and he had to grab at the wall to keep him from crashing to the ground as he slowly slid down onto his butt.

"You're a fuckin android? What the shit?"

"Not now Hank," Connor snapped, taking a careful step forward, his hands extended in peace and his face once again full of worry, the anger from,earlier completely gone. Gavin was panicking, he knew that, and he wrapped his hands around his stomach to keep the out of reach as Connor started talking. "I apologize for... Overwhelming you. I was not expecting to interface and your programs are so old that it seems i couldn't help myself. I am sorry, detective."

Gavin shook his head, forcing himself to breathe. He could feel his the small glitches throughout his body and his vision was covered in error messages. His eyes blinked at different times and his voice was still patchy and mechanical when he spoke. "I-I've never f-f-phcking Inter-interfaced... Interfaced bef-f-fore," he stuttered, trying to clear the red letters flooding his eyes. "Just- just give m-m-me a sec-cond."

He closed his eyes and fisted his hands in his shirt, ducking his head between his knees to make it easier to breathe. 

He'd had panic attacks plenty of times before when his stress levels got too high. Tina usually managed to pull him out of it, but a few times he'd had to call Chloe for help when they went on too long.

She always supplied him with calming memories of her own, things she was seeing at the time. 

The snow falling behind their house. Elijah working on something in his office, humming along to some old classical record playing from the corner. The smell of the paperback books he had collected on the shelves.

Gavin pulled the scenes up in his mind then, drawing the comfort from them, watching them over and over until his fingers stopped twitching and his vision was cleared. His stress levels were still a bit high, but they were at acceptable levels when he glanced back up at the two men in the room.

Connor was still sat on the floor in front of him, waiting patiently and no doubt scanning him as well. Hank looked furious behind him and Gavin tried not to flinch under the glare as he leaned back against the wall, resting his arms on his knees. His right hand was still white, but Gavin figured it'd be best yo leave it that way for now, as a reminder he supposed.

"How long?" When Gavin didnt immediately answer, Hank slammed his fist on the table and both androids jolted at the noise. "How fuckin long have you been an android, huh? The whole fuckin time?"

"No," Gavin spat back, but his gaze didn't leave his white fingers. "No... It was a few years after the academy, that shootout we got int with the red ice gang?" Hank nodded, remembering the day Gavin was shot down and rushed to the hospital. "I- Gavin died that day."

There was a long silence before Hank shook his head. "Bullshit. You came back to work a few weeks later. Said your brother took you to some special surgeon."

"I came back," Gavin shrugged, fists clenching as he remembered the worry and fear he felt walking into the precinct again. This was long before deviants were even a glitch of code and androids were still so new that Chloe was the most popular model and Elijah still worked at Cyberlife. "But Gavin didn't. My- his brother couldn't deal with the loss of his brother. The rest of the family was dead and Gavin was all he had left. So he... Made a copy of his consciousness and built it a body."

Connor was silent during the story, having already seen the truth through Gavin's memories. But Hank was fuming, hurt and anger boiling in his blood. 

"I trained that kid," he growled, standing from his chair to pace angrily. "I was the one who brought him onto the taskforce in the first place, and you're fucking telling me i got him killed?"

Guilt stabbed at Gavin's heart, because he had never really thought about how Hank would take all this. Sure, he had felt guilty originally for taking over a life that didn't belong to him, but eventually it became his life. It was his job, his success, his friends.  He was Gavin's legacy, his continuation. But of course Hank wouldn't see it like that.

"I'm sorry," the detective whispered, making Hank stop his pacing. "I'm sorry. I didn't ask for this, I didn't want to be made. In fact I tried to get rid of myself plenty of times but I could never go through with it." He sighed and rubbed at the side of his head where an LED would be if he had one. "I'm sorry I treated you like trash," Gavin told Connor. And it was awkward, of course it fucking was. Gavin barely apologized for anything and especially when he knew he was fucking wrong. But it felt good to do it. "I had my reasons, but even if they were shit reasons, I should have treated you like a fucking person."

Connor opened his mouth, perhaps to argue or brush the apology aside, but instead his face morphed into a gentle but serious smile and he nodded. "Apology accepted, Detective."

"Ah fucking shit," Hank grumbled, dropping back into his chair and putting his head in his hands. "Apology fucking accepted. But goddamn it, I need twenty beers after this." 

Connor shot the man a sharp look before turning back to Gavin. "I saw a lot of what you showed me, but not everything. You are quite a lot older than I am, with a lot more memory files. But... Is this why you told Nines no?"

Oh yeah. Gavin had completely forgotten why he was even here in the first fucking place.

Connor must have taken Gavin's silence as a yes because his smile turned a bit sad. "Gavin, my brother adores you, you must know that. He will not care if you are an android or not."

"Yeah, that'd what Tina fuckin said. I've just-" he shrugged and let the skin cover his hand once again, flexing the fingers once they were back to normal. "I've been hiding what I am for so fuckin long that I don't know how not to."

 


	4. Bitchnugget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because talking about things is important, friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I've kind of decided to make this a case fic also. So expect a case to start next chapter.  
> It will be kind of gory at first, so just a warning there. Okay thanks bye.  
> Also, also, I wrote this chapter on my phone too, so if there's little errors, I'm sorry!

Nines' apartment was on the ninth floor (because of course it is) of a complex in old Detroit. The Jericho gang had made some serious headway the past year or so fixing the area up and making housing for androids. Graffiti had been cleaned up and replaced with huge sprawling murals, trash was swept away and potholes filled. It quickly became one of the nicest parts of Detroit and Gavin was always shocked when he came through it. Not that he came through very often. Mostly just to drop Nines off after work a few times on late nights.

And now he stood in the hallway, just in front of Nines' door, tugging and twisting at his sleeves. He'd been standing there for nearly five minutes now- five minutes and twenty nine seconds to be exact- just staring at the small little plaque beside the door.

Nines Anderson - Room 901

Fuck, he didn't know why he was so nervous. His talks with Hank and Connor had actually gone pretty well after the whole... accidentally insulting him thing. Connor had a lot of questions, some of which Gavin could answer, others he couldn't. But still... it was nice to talk to someone other than Tina about what he was.

Gavin jumped slightly when his phone went off in his pocket and he tugged it out haphazardly, an excuse for something to do as he stalled.

Since it doesn't seem you will knock, I feel obligated to inform you that the door is in fact unlocked. - 9

Please see yourself in. - 9

Of course the fucking bastard knew he was there. Gavin didn't know why he was surprised when Connor had done the same fucking thing to him only a few days ago. Did the bastards have heat vision or something? He'd have to ask. But with a roll of his eyes, Gavin took a deep breath and shouldered his way into the apartment.

He wasn't sure what he expected to see inside, but honestly... It didn't surprise him at all. The apartment was pretty sparse, and rather small. Probably the size of Gavin's living room and kitchen. It was a one room, open floor plan with a big window staring off into the city on the opposite side of the door, and the walls were a sharp white color. It was all rather bland, but Gavin supposed it suited the android. What he was surprised to see however, was a bed pushed up against the middle of one of the walls and a tv pressed up against another with a small loveseat facing it. 

"Good morning detective," Nines greeted from somewhere to Gavin's left and he turned just in time to see Nines stepping out of what he assumed was a bathroom.

Motherfuckers.

Something in Gavin's brain short circuited and there was an instability error popping up in the corner of his vision when he was met with miles and miles of pale, flawless skin. Nines had -thank God- remembered to put pants on, but that was all. He wore no shoes, and his chest was completely bare... and absolutely perfect, like damn. Gavin would have to send Eli a Christmas card for that design- if his brother even designed it. And the android had a towel wrapped around his shoulders, using one end of it to scrub at his wet hair.

And fuck, Gavin had never not seen Nines' hair absolutely perfect. So seeing it wet and dripping messily over the mans forehead? Gavin didn't quite know what to do with himself, but he knew he wanted more than anything to lick those water droplets off that sculpted chest of his. He'd have to try and convince Nines to wear his hair down more often.

"Detective?"

Gavin blinked, heat rising to his ears as he met Nines gaze. The android smirked softly before leaning up against door jam like he was some fucking model or some shit. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "As far as I am aware, we do not have a case. Might I inquire as to why you are here?"

"Fucking shit," Gavin breathed eloquently. He closed his eyes quickly, slapping a hand over them as he forced himself to focus. "Dinner!"

"I'm- pardon me?"

When the detective dragged his hand down his face and looked up at Nines again, the android had a look of shock on his face with something akin to hope in those deadly blue eyes. Gavin cleared his throat and glanced over at the kitchen counter, rubbing awkwardly at his hair. "You uh... Wanted dinner right? I figured... Well I asked for a rain check so... Yeah fuck just- We need to like... talk or some shit before then. I have... Rules, I guess?"

The surprised look on Nines face shifted to one of content and he nodded, his lips falling into a gentle smile. "Of course. Perhaps I should get dressed then. There is a small diner down the street that I've been told has excellent coffee. We could discuss your terms there?"

"For fucks sake... Yes, clothes, please."

So Gavin waited patiently for the android to tug on a shirt, which honestly wasn't much better because he put on one of those black turtle necks that Gavin practically drooled over every time the fucker came to work in them. The ones that clung to the man's sharp edges and left nothing to the imagination. God this was going to be hard.

The walk to the cafe was a brisk one, Gavin reluctant to let Nines lead because he didn't want to get caught staring, yet having to since he didn't know where the fuck they were going.

Fuck he was doomed. Completely and utterly fucking doomed.

Gavin still didn't say anything until there was a coffee in front of him and Nines had ordered a cup of warmed thirium that he had resting between his hands. He fiddled with the edges of the mug, the only sign that he might also be nervous.

"Would you like to engage in small talk first, detective, or simply cut to the chase as it were?" Nines questioned.

"For the love of- okay rule number one, Nines. Fucking call me by my name when we aren't at Work. This detective this and detective that shit is getting annoying," he grumbled, unknowingly skipping the small talk offer. Nines nodded, waiting patiently as Gavin all but chugged his coffee. He kept an eye on his intake reserves just in case, but he hadn't eaten in a few days so he wasn't too worried. "Okay look. I... I don't fuckin' know how to do this, alright? It's been a long fucking time since I've done a relationship, a long fucking time... So you're just going to have to bare with me, yeah?"

Nines raised an eyebrow, his LED cycling blue as he observed Gavin. "Considering I have never been in one, dete- ah, Gavin, then I will ask that you to 'bare with me' s well."

"Yeah, fuck yeah I guess." Gavin scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. He honestly hadn't even thought about that. Of course Nines had never dated. He was like, a year old- which fuck. Yeah Gavin wasn't going to think about that at all. No sir. 

"Perhaps we start simply with your rules," Nines suggested gently, head tilting slightly in that cute way that he probably learned from Connor. "Then we can discuss where we would like to go with something more serious."

Logical as always, Gavin mused. He nodded, tapping his fingers on his mug before sucking in a heavy breath that he didn't actually need. "Okay. Rule number one- or two, I guess. There are things that I can't... Well, that I won't tell you yet, things about me or my past, whatever. I want to," he blushed, scratching at the scar on his nose. "But I just... Can't yet, okay? And I need you to not push me or whatever. If this goes somewhere, I'll tell you, I will... I just... I've got a lot of fucking secrets that I haven't told anyone so... So that's just something you're going to have to deal with, okay?" He expected Nines to argue or prod, but the android just nodded, no judgement or anger on his face, just patient contemplation. It eased something in Gavin's chest and he relaxed a bit. "My family is pretty complicated too. It's not a subject I like to bring up much, so that whole topic is pretty much off limits unless I bring it up myself." Nines LED cycled yellow for a split second before Gavin pointed a finger at him. "And no looking me up to try and figure it out. Just... Trust me that I'll tell you when I'm ready."

"Very well, Gavin," Nines nodded, yellow cycling back to blue. "Anything else?"

Well... "Not really, I guess," Gavin mumbled, scratching at his chin. "I'm not super lovey dovey," he admitted with a shrug. "I don't do PDA or whatever, especially at work. I'm fucking shit at talking about my feelings so you might have to dig them out if we need to talk something out. And... I don't know, just don't expect much because I honestly don't know how much to give. I already told you I'm a shit person, Nines. You deserve better than me, but if I'm what you want, then fuck, who am I to say no?"

Nines did this cute thing then, a little roll of the eyes and a smile that showed a dimple in his cheek. The sight stole Gavin's artificial breath away and he almost forgot to listen. 

"I am sure you are not as bad as you think, Gavin. And I do believe I mentioned already that it is my job to determine your worth to me." He paused, taking a sip of his thirium as he thought. "I have a few conditions of my own if you don't mind."

Gavin blinked, not having expected his own rules, but he waved a hand and nodded. "Yeah of course. Shoot."

"Pertaining your second rule about secrets," he began and Gavin tensed immediately. "I will follow it, but I require in return that you inform me immediately if something is wrong either with us, the job, or your health. I do not wish for you to keep some terminal disease from me simply because you are embarrassed."

Gavin thought about that for a moment before shrugging. "Yeah sure, I can handle that. If it's life or death, or something work or relationship related, I'll tell you."

Nines nodded in agreement and his LED flickered yellow for just a second. Gavin imagined a checklist going off in his HUD as he added rules. There was even a new little mission section in the left side of Gavin's vision that flickered with the new protocol. He waited until Nines continued.

"I agree with your statement against PDA in the workplace. As we are partners, I will not make the incorrect assumption that our home relationship will not bleed into work, however, I would like to keep it as professional as we can so our work does not suffer."

Gavin snorted at the android, the stunted and awkward way he spoke was adorable and Gavin couldn't help the dopey sort of smile he gave the man. "Yeah, agreed. I'm a pretty private guy so, other than Tina, I don't really expect to tell anyone else." He shrugged.

"One more thing," Nines said, setting his thirium down and much to Gavin's amusement, a small blue blush dusted across the androids cheeks. "As stated before, I am... Inexperienced when it comes to relationships. So if I do something wrong..." Gavin blinked for a moment, thirium pump stuttering as Nines seemed to be at a loss for words. "I ask that you assist me in areas I am unfamiliar. As I am sure you are aware, my social cues and relationship protocols are somewhat lacking. I ask that you not... Hold it against me I believe is the saying."

"You aren't that bad," Gavin said, quick to defend the android, but he only got a raised brow in return and Gavin snorted in laughter. "Yeah alright. Fuckin fine."

And that was that. For three weeks, he and Nines... Dated, or whatever. It wasn't all that different than how they'd been doing things, but Nines came over to Gavin's apartment more often to hang out and they went to dinner together when they got off work more often than not. Even Bitchnugget, Gavin's half-maine coon cat , absolutely loved the android, and she hated anyone that wasn't Gavin or Tina. It was... Good. Like really fucking good.

They hadn't moved past anything more than hand holding and sort of cuddling on the couch, but Gavin didn't mind that much and Nines seemed perfectly content with their current level of intimacy. The hand holding was a bit awkward at first since Nines had actually asked permission to do so and Gavin had blushed a splotchy red before giving in, but it was... nice in a weird way. The cuddling though, that happened seamlessly. It might have had to do with the fact that Gavin accidentally fell asleep during a movie one night and Nines had shifted to make him more comfortable in his arms. But ever since then they had no problem sliding up against each other on the couch. Gavin even found himself bumping his feet against Nines under the table in the break room, and if Nines sat a little closer on his desk so his leg brushed Gavin's arm, well nobody else seemed to notice. (Except Tina, who was absolutely ecstatic about the whole thing.)

But damn... It was good. And Gavin felt great.

He still hadn't managed to tell Nines the truth about himself, even when Tina and Connor prodded and prodded about it. He just couldn't bring himself to do it, not yet. This was one thing that was just... so normal. Right now, all Nines knew was Gavin. He didn't know about his past, his secrets. He didn't have to wonder whether the real Gavin was any different than the current one. Right now, all Gavin was to Nines was a partner and... boyfriend, he guessed? He wasn't an android, he wasn't some thing that had taken over someone else's life, he wasn't RA-333. He was just... Gavin. And it was good.

Anyway, he enjoyed it. He enjoyed the little bubble of excitement he got when Nines asked to come over. He enjoyed the small smiles the android graced him with before his face went stony again. He fucking loved the way the man's tongue wrapped around his name like it was a sonnet or some bullshit.

It was good.

Until they got a case that fucking threw everything out the fucking window.


	5. The Names of Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new case pops up and a familiar name is dropped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty short, and I'm not super happy with it, but you guys have been waiting long enough and I feel bad! So here you go!  
> I have the next chapter written, just need to edit it :)

The crime scene was a bloody mess. Literally.

Some android had come across a trail of thirium leading into an old warehouse and Gavin and Nines were immediately called to the scene, interrupting their weekly Friday night movie. 

Now Gavin had seen his fair share of gore, he wasn't squeamish to it anymore. But cult shit still managed to give him the creeps. Granted, they didn't get cult stuff too much around Detroit, not since the thing during the revolution, but still. He hated it.

There was a single body played out on the ground in the center of a large, painted blue circle. The circle had a few gaps in it and from the right angle, even Gavin could tell it was meant to represent an LED. The body itself had its chassis pried open to reveal where it's thirium pump was meant to be, only to find the thing missing completely.

"It's messy," Nines said quietly, and Gavin knew by the cycling red yellow red of the androids LED that even he was disturbed by the scene. He pointed at the open wound when Gavin stood over him to see, frown tugging at his lips as he prodded a few of the wires sticking out. "They didn't know what they were doing when they pulled the pump out. The android most likely bled out in a matter of seconds rather than minutes," he informed the detective. 

Gavin hummed in contemplation, glancing around the empty room. "And no sign of the heart yet?"

"Not that anyone has informed me," Nines said as he stood. Gavin handed him a hanky that he'd started carting around once he realized Nines touched EVERYTHING and the android gave him a rueful smile in thanks. 

"Detectives," a voice called and they both glanced over towards where Chris was waving at them. "I think you should see this."

Sharing a glance with Nines, Gavin sighed and followed the officer, having to squeeze past a few storage boxes to get to the corner they were looking at. 

If Gavin thought the first scene was creepy, this was even worse. He felt a chill run down his spine and he shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them from fidgeting.

There was another circle like the first, painted in blue on the wall, but instead of a body in the center of it, there was a heart. Not a thirium pump either, but a red, human heart. It left rivers of blood down the wall, dark against the bright blue, and the letters written above the graphic scene looked to be a strange mix of blood and thirium.

_**I found you RA9, and with these sacrifices, I will honor you and give you life as you have given mine.** _

"Fucking shit balls," Gavin spat, glaring at the words like they personally offended him. "This shit again? I thought the RA9 shit quit after the revolution or whatever."

"Some androids have started worshiping them like a god," Nines shrugged, eyes narrowing at the heart. "However according to the DPD database, no more crimes had been committed for RA9 since the uprising. This is highly unusual, but I suppose inevitable."

"Did anyone even find out who RA9 was?" Gavin asked as he stepped to the side, letting another officer by with a camera.

Nines shook his head. "Not that I am aware. It perhaps might be a good idea to ask Connor and Lieutenant Anderson for assistance on this case, as they were the ones who dealt with the original RA9 murders."

Normally Gavin would throw a fucking hissy fit at having to hand over his case, or even working with the other pair, but something in his gut told him this was going to be a nasty case, so instead he just nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, not a bad idea, I guess. But its still our case."

"Of course, Detective," Nines chuckled, giving Gavin those dreamy bedroom eyes and a small smirk before turning,his attention back to the scene. 

They stayed there for maybe another hour until Nines was satisfied he'd collected all the Data he could and they headed back to the precinct. Gavin had already called the captain and asked for the dream teams help- much to his surprise. Imagine, Gavin Fucking Reed asking for help. 

So Connor was waiting at their desks when they arrived, leaning against Nines desk with Connor in the androids chair. If it bothered Nines, he didn't say anything, only took a standing position next to Gavin when the detective took his seat.

"Heard you got a cult case," Hank grumbled, a deep frown set under his beard.

"That has not been confirmed yet," Nines responded matter of factly. "But the scene did hint towards some sort of worship killing in the name of RA9. We thought it pertinent to bring the two of you in since you have experience with the subject."

"Unfortunately, most of the killings we dealt with were mostly self defense cases once we actually looked into them. RA9 was simply a byproduct, something they happened to find safety in," Connor informed them. "None of the murders we dealt with were actually done in RA9s name as yours seems to have been. May i see the scene?"

Nines didn't even hesitate, reaching out his arm towards Connor, their skin peeling away simultaneously. Something churned in Gavin's stomach at the sight, at the reminder of how it felt with Connor and he averted his eyes, meeting Hanks instead. The lieutenant raised an eyebrow in question but Gavin only sneered at him. 

It'd been three weeks or so since he'd gone over and talked to them, three weeks since he and Nines started dating, and he still hadn't told his partner the truth.

And honestly, Hank didn't seem to give a shit, but Connor... Connor kept giving him these sad puppy dog eyes anytime Nines was out of earshot, or Gavin would catch him whispering with Tina at her desk. Not to mention, now that they'd interfaced, Connor was able to do that mind thing that Gavin and Chloe did where he'd just talk to Gavin in his head. It was fucking weird and he hated it, always had. He only did it with Chloe when he absolutely needed her, otherwise she knew to text him. So having Connor pinging in his vision multiple times a day requesting to speak with him, had had Gavin's nerves shot for the past few weeks.

The kid really didn't know how to leave well enough alone.

Gavin looked away from the old man when Connor and Nines pulled apart, the older of the two with a deep frown on his face.

"Do you think this is something that might escalate," he questioned.

"Well we've got two victims already, an android registered as Claire and a human registered as Grisham Lewis," Gavin said, pulling up the memory file in his HUD. "And by the looks of it, it doesn't look like the person is done yet. They said they were going to give RA9 life. So I'm assuming that means more sacrifices."

Hank cursed under his breath and frowned. "We assuming this is an android?"

"Until we know otherwise, yeah," Gavin shrugged. "Evidence points to it. The font for the letters, the RA9 thing. Even after the revolution, not many humans know about that so right now were running the android angle."

"No partner or nothin'?"

Again, Gavin shook his head, "don't think so. Its possible but the words on the wall specifically say 'I' not 'we'. So unless they're a group that fuck up their grammar, then I'm guessing one android right now. Doesn't mean he wont gain a following though if this gets out. He tapped his fingers on the desk and pulled up a picture of the heart again, frowning at it. "You guys never found out what RA9 was?"

Connor shook his head. "Unfortunately not. We visited Elijah Kamski in hopes that he would help but," Gavin's head snapped around at that, just in time to see Connor's LED cycle red at the memory.

"Guy was a fucking psycho," Hank continued when it didn't look like Connor would. "Said he'd tell us all he knew about RA9 if Connor would shoot one of his Chloe zombies. He had a fucking army of them, just hanging around his house. It was a freak show."

Gavin could feel Nines eyes on him, probably wondering why Gavin's stress levels just hit the roof. "Connor wouldn't shoot the Chloe, so he just made some fucking speech about how fascinating the deviants were, told Connor about some secret program, and then we left. Fucking creep if you ask me," Hank finished with a roll of the eyes.

Gavin's fists clenched and he forced himself to calm down, trying to urge the red numbers blocking his vision to lower. "That motherfucker," he grumbled before shooting to his feet and snatching his coat up. 

"Detective?" Nines questioned, raising an eyebrow at him. 

"Were going to question Kamski," he told the android, shoving his arms angrily into his coat. "And I'm going to give him a fucking piece of my mind."

"Not a good idea," Hank said halfheartedly to Gavin's back. "Reed! You don't wanna piss off a guy like Kamski! Hes not gonna tell you shit!"

But Gavin wasn't listening. Instead he was storming his way out of the precinct and towards his car, Nines close behind, his LED spinning a rapid yellow. 

"Gavin? I do not think this is our best option. It is highly inappropriate to show up at Elijah Kamski's home without an appointment. We don't even know if he will give us anything."

"Oh he will," Gavin promised with a sneer. "Hell fucking tell us everything we want to fucking know."

There was a small part of Gavin's brain that was screaming,at him, trying to remind him of something important, but the anger and fury boiling inside him overtook it, swallowing up logical Gavin like the tide in the ocean.

Stress Levels Reaching Critical


	6. Monsters in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines and Gavin visit Kamski and robot gods are discussed. Chloe is an angel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT?! Two chapters in one day? Eat your heart out kids. I'm back.  
> Though I make no promises on updates. Sorry. I'm working full time and doing full time school, so it's a lot for me right now!

Elijah's house always gave Gavin the heebie-jeebies. It was too modern, too clean, and sat on the top of a hill out in the middle of fucking nowhere, pushed right up against a lake with a driveway like ten miles long. Gavin remembered helping the man move in after he quit cyberlife, remembered the hours and hours of work alongside his brother and Chloe. It was actually one of his most fond memories of them, a day where they didn't end up arguing like school children. Sure, they bantered back and forth, spat insults and jibes, but it was all in good fun, nothing hurtful.

By the time they reached the house, Gavin's anger had calmed and the panic was starting to set in.

Because he was a fucking idiot and had brought his partner with him. Brought his boyfriend with him to his brothers house when Nines didn't even know Gavin knew Kamski, much less was related to him.

Fuck fuck fuck.

"Detective?"

Gavin didn't look over as they parked, his fingers tense around the steering wheel of his old car. He was trying to fight away the rising panic at the situation. It was too soon, too fucking soon. He had planned on telling Nines about Elijah after he dropped the android bomb. After he knew that Nines was staying. But he was a goddamn fucking idiot who acted before thinking and Nines had followed without question because he was loyal and he trusted Gavin and fuck.

"Fuck," Gavin growled loudly, slamming his hands on the steering wheel before tugging them through his hair. "This was a stupid ass decision. Fuck."

"While I am inclined to agree," Nines began, gently tugging one of Gavin's hands out of his hair and giving it a calming squeeze, "we are already here. Perhaps with a calmer mind now, we can question him professionally."

Gavin took a deep breath, glancing up at the house again to see Chloe already waiting in the doorway, a big smile plastered across her face as she waved at him. "Professionally, yeah. Fuck, okay. Lets just get this over with. Just-" he paused, glancing at Nines before the android could get out of the car. "Just remember rule number two, yeah?"

He didn't wait for Nines to process that, trying to ignore the bright yellow that lit up the car as he stepped out. The wind was even worse up by Elijah's house and he had to pull his coat up towards his ears as he shuffled towards the front door, knowing Nines was following close behind. 

Chloe's grin grew as he came closer and before he could even say anything, she had him wrapped in a tight hug. "Gavin! I am so glad you decided to visit. Though, I do wish you'd have called first."

Gavin chuckled, patting a hand on the androids head before pulling back to look down at her.

Images of her dead eyes and a bullet hole in her skull crashed against his mind and he flinched away from them, closing his eyes in hopes of ridding himself of what if's. When he opened them again, Chloe was staring at him in confusion, her LED a yellow red yellow. 

"You're okay?" He asked, because he even though he could see her, even though he could feel that there was no hole when he brushed his thumb across her forehead lion king style, he still had to be sure.

Chloe frowned but nodded anyway, used to his strange moods by now. "Of course I'm alright. Are you?" She glanced behind Gavin towards Nines as if she'd forgotten he was there, disentangling herself from Gavin's arms and reaching a hand out towards the police android. Gavin's pump lurched towards the shorter girl, something twisting in him when she left his arms, and he watched as she shook Nine's hand.

"Hello, I am Chloe. You must be Connor's brother, yes?"

"Indeed," Nines smiled, but there was something confused and analytic in his eyes that Gavin recognized. "I am RK900, but you may call me Nines if you wish." He dropped her hand and folded his own behind his back, nodding a head in thanks when Chloe let them inside the house and closed the door behind them. "We apologize for the intrusion, however we were hoping to speak with Mr. Kamski about a case."

Chloe's brow furrowed and she glanced at Gavin. "A case? You've never come to us for a case before. Is it very bad?"

"Yeah," Gavin nodded, once again ignoring the prickling across his skin when Nines looked over at him. He had no doubt every inch of the android was trying to put together the dots. "And it looks like it's only going to get worse. Connor told us that Eli- uh, Kamski might have some answers for us."

"Well, Elijah is in his workshop right now," she informed them, waving a hand at them to follow. "It's about time for him to take a break anyway, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind the interruption. Come."

Chloe led them through the long, ugly halls of Elijah's house, towards where Gavin knew the stairs leading to the basement workshop waited for them. He could feel Nines eyes on his back, calculating, prodding, wondering. But he held back his questions, and Gavin was glad for it. He just wasn't sure how he was going to explain this one...

Elijah's workshop was huge, even bigger than the house above. The inventor had had the house built to his own specifications, so it was no surprise that his work was more important than his comfort. It was brightly lit, with large machines and android bits here and there. Ever since the revolution, Eli had been working for Cyberlife again making upgrades and attachments and so on under the new android owners. (Eli had sold the company to Android Jesus not long after the new laws had allowed for it.) But the inventor still requested he be able to work on his own in isolation. And Marcus agreed.

Elijah was there now, bent over a table with his hair tied back in that stupid bun of his, a pair of pliers in his hands as he pulled apart a bundle of wires. 

"Elijah," Chloe greeted when the man didn't immediately look up. She sauntered up to him, placing a gentle hand on his and lowering the tool until he glanced up at her. The sight of those blue eyes staring at Chloe so innocently had Gavin's blood boiling once again, his memory pulling up the image of a distraught Connor and angry Hank. Before he could think better of it, he was storming towards his brother, fingers clenching into a fist before they slammed against the side of Elijah's face. 

The man grunted, stumbling off his chair and into Chloe's arms, and Gavin had to force himself to ignore the bright red LED's in the room when Eli looked up at him in surprise.

"Detective," Nines scolded, grabbing at Gavin's arm, but he yanked it from the android's grip, pointing a shaking finger at his brother.

"We don't fucking bargain with lives, Elijah," he spat, shoving his finger against the mans chest. "Chloe is not just a fucking toy that you can dispose of whenever you want, you fucking idiot."

Elijah's eyebrows tugged down in confusion, but Chloe was the one to understand first, her red LED turning yellow once more. "Gavin, it was not me who Connor was asked to shoot. It was simply a machine."

"You're just a machine," Gavin argued, voice warbling slightly with pent up anger. "It doesn't fucking matter. She had your face, he shouldn't have fucking gambled with her life."

"Gavin-"

Elijah held up a hand, cutting Chloe off as he pushed himself back onto his seat. He rubbed at his jaw with a wince. "I will admit it was not my best day," he said reluctantly. "My curiosity overcame me and the RK800, Connor, was... Fascinating."

"Fuck Eli," Gavin growled, running a hand through his hair. He recognized the tone in the man's voice, the sharp clarity in his eyes. "Are you off your meds again? Is that why you fucking traumatized Connor and then didn't give him anything for it?"

His brother shrugged, though there was a slight twitch in his eyes that told Gavin he regretted his actions from before. "I work better without them," he said. "It's why I came so far out of town in the first place, to avoid those kinds of situations."

Something in Gavin lurched at the small hint of guilt in his brothers voice. It wasn't often Elijah admitted he'd done something wrong, and it made Gavin slump his shoulders and sigh. When he reached for Eli this time it was softer, his fingers latching onto the mans chin and tilting it so he could see the rapidly forming bruise there on his chin. He couldn't scan it like Connor or Nines could, but he could tell it was going to be a nasty one. He prodded at it gently to make sure he hadn't broken anything. "I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?"

Elijah smiled softly, patting Gavin's hand before brushing it away. "I'm perfectly well, darling. Your android however looks like he might break something if you don't tend to him."

Gavin raised an eyebrow, turning to face Nines and sure enough, his LED was spinning a rapid yellow and his face was pinched up in confusion. Gavin couldn't stop the snort that escaped him at the sight and he walked up, flicking a finger against the androids nose. "Hey, earth to Robocop. Where are your manners?" He waited until Nines blinked down at him to gesture to Eli. "Elijah, this is my partner, Nines. Nines, this is my brother Elijah."

The android blinked again, LED blinking with him and if Gavin didn't know better, he might have thought the man shut down or something. Really, Gavin hadn't expected to introduce the two of them so soon. He had at least wanted to wait until after the big news. But whatever.

"Facial recognition is a 98% match," Nines said quietly, his blue eyes switching between Gavin and Elijah like he still couldn't put the dots together. "He is not in your file."

Gavin rolled his eyes. "I told you not to look me up. But no, he isn't."

"Gavin insisted when he joined the academy that I be kept out of his records. He did not want anyone to think he had special treatment or anything of the sort," Eli shrugged, rubbing at his jaw again before crossing his arms over his chest and crossing his legs. 

"And the name?" Nines questioned.

"Our dad was an ass," Gavin said nonchalantly, though Nines didn't miss the way he shoved his fists in his pockets. "Took my mom's name the second I turned 18. Eli was already making a name for himself so he figured it'd just be a hassle to change it at that point."

A bit of an awkward silence settled over them then, Nines glancing back and forth and Eli looking the android up and down like he was picking him apart with his eyes. Gavin kicked his brother gently and sneered. 

"Look, I'm not just here to punch you for your stupidity. We have a case and Connor mentioned he came to talk to you about it a while ago. So here we are," he said. Nines perked up beside him, knocked out of his confusion by the promise of work. "We need to know what you have on RA9."

Elijah's lips pursed and his eyebrows tugged down tight over his grey eyes at the name. "Yes, the mystery that has plagued me for months. I too would like to know what it is."

"So you don't know anything?" Gavin groaned, running a hand over his face. He found it hard to believe that Elijah hadn't figured it out already. "You created the damn things, how do you not know what's fucking up their programs? Ah, no offense, guys," he grimaced when Nines raised an eyebrow at him.

Sighing, Elijah turned and grabbed at his tablet, sliding his fingers over it quickly before handing it over to Nines who downloaded the information instantly. "I can tell you that the first sign of deviation showed up in a damaged android's code nearly four years ago, two and a half years before the revolution even began. The deviant code was quickly fixed before the android was recycled and re-released as a gardener droid. I am unsure where that android is now since the trackers go dormant after the deviant code takes over." He waved a hand towards the tablet and frowned. "I originally thought perhaps RA9 was the code itself, or the protocol that helps them break the code. Or perhaps, I assumed, RA9 could have been a name they gave to my back door programs. But none of that evidence lines up with what we have seen."

"Well someone has started killing in their name," Gavin sighed, waving a hand towards Nines who in turn showed Eli an image of the words painted at the crime scene. "The way they're talking about it makes it sound like RA9 is a person, or they are treating it like it is. Is that possible?"

"Possible," the inventor hummed, tapping his chin. "It could be instead that RA9 was a name given to a person."

"Could someone design a deviancy code," Nines questioned and Elijah spared him a look of contemplation. "Could RA9 be the person who created the deviant codes? The one to wake them up? During the revolution Connor saw many signs saying 'RA9 will save us'. They thought maybe Marcus was RA9, however that seemed unlikely. Perhaps it is the person who woke them up instead."

"Yeah, but Marcus did wake most of them up," Gavin argued with a shake of his head. Something tingled in the back of his mind, telling him they were on the right track but not there yet. "Him and Connor woke you up."

"But," Elijah interrupted, his eyes brightening slightly with the thought, "they could have woken him up with transferred code. All it would take was a brief connection for someone to pass the code along, like a virus. Once the first android is infected, he could have infected others without even knowing it." The man snatched his tablet back from Nines and started tapping away at it while he spoke. "I have been studying my two original androids, Chloe, my RT600," he spared Gavin a very quick glance, and his heart skipped a beat for a moment in worry, "and my RA-333. That one was never released to the public because of it's... Trouble following protocols," he lied easily, "I have been digging through their code however in hopes of finding out why they went deviant or finding the 'deviant code' as you call it. The problem is, I have run them both on the same systems. They have many codes that are similar and some that are not, so trying to find the one line of code between them that makes them unique among other androids has become difficult and alas, I have no other androids to test other than my own. After selling my company, I have limited resources at Cyberlife."

"You've been digging in... in RA-333's code?" Gavin found himself asking before he could think better of it. His fists clenched in his pockets and he had to force himself to remember to breathe. He hated when Elijah did things without telling him, especially when it had to do with his own protocols and systems.

But Elijah raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "RA-333 was the first android that showed his own... soul you could say. He was made to be the carbon copy of someone else, a perfect replica, and yet... He became his own person instead. It always fascinated me." He waved to Chloe behind him. "Soon after, my darling Chloe began to show signs of deviancy. She showed emotions- love, heartbreak, disappointment, happiness. And to my surprise it was all genuine. Nothing faked to make her appear more human, it was as if she was human."

"You had a deviant android in you care that long ago and you did not report it?" Nines frowned.

"At that point, who would I have reported it to? I was head of Cyberlife, so any complaints or issues would have gone to me anyway." Elijah shrugged and Chloe put a hand on his shoulder with a smile. "None of my other Chloe's deviated until the revolution, so I thought perhaps it was some strange fluke, or perhaps my own imagination."

"Nah, I noticed back then too," Gavin told him, earning him a sideways glance from Nines and Gavin blushed slightly. "What? Chloe and I have been friends for years. We text a lot... Lots of emojis."

Chloe giggled and nodded. Her LED cycled yellow for a moment before Gavin heard her voice in his head.

He is cute. You did not tell me he was a jealous one.

He's not jealous, Gavin replied with a roll of the eyes before shifting on his feet.

"Anyway, would you send me everything you've got on anything that could be related," he asked Elijah. "We've already got two victims and I have a feeling there are going to be a lot more if we don't catch this guy."

"And RA9?" Eli asked after nodding. "What about them?"

what about them indeed. Gavin had to admit he wanted to know who the fuck it was, especially after all the religious hubub that followed the name. No one had managed to track them down until the killer... If they even managed to do so. Color him curious.

"As far as we know, they could be in on it. Doesn't sound right to me," he said honestly with a shrug, "but I'm not ruling it out. Finding them is second to the case though, unless it looks like they are in danger or could shed some light on the situation. Right now, it looks more like a crazed fan type of thing. Knowing who it was would be great fuckin' help, but I'm more worried about how far this killer is willing to go to get their attention."

Elijah nodded, pushing himself to his feet to stand next to Chloe. 

Watching his brother there next to his android, Gavin wasn't sure how he missed Eli being off his meds. The man held himself different when he was 'clear' minded as he called it. He was a pompous son of a bitch, with his nose in the air and this cocky attitude about him. And his eyes were so sharp that it drove him up the wall, imagining they were like security cameras in the man's skull, always scanning, always observing. 

He was different around Gavin and Chloe though. There was still enough of him there to be... Softer. There was a very fine line between Kamski and Eli, and Gavin seemed to live on the edge of it, where as strangers lived knowing only of the arrogant, slightly psychotic Kamski. 

"It was wonderful to finally meet you, Detective Nines," Eli grinned, his teeth a little too sharp and his eyes twinkling like he knew something Gavin didn't. "Ill have the information emailed to you by the time you get back to work." 

It was a dismissal if he'd ever heard one, but Gavin didn't argue. Being around Elijah for too long in the company of others always set him on edge. He never knew if the man would slip up and reveal something he shouldn't or if he'd do something stupid like convince Nines to try and shoot Chloe too.

"Yeah, sorry," he grumbled awkwardly, "about the face."

Chloe led them back out of the house in silence, pausing only at the door to hold Gavin back. They both watched as Nines continued to the car, only turning to each other once he was inside.

"You have not told him." It wasn't a question, but Gavin shook his head. "I know you are worried," she said softly, fingers gripping at his own and squeezing. "I know Elijah does not make it easy for you, but starting a relationship off on a lie is never a good start."

Gavin sneered at that, avoiding Chloe's gaze to stare out at the snow. "You started yours like that."

"And I paid the price for it," she responded, her fingers reaching up to tug Gavin's chin back towards her. "It took a very long time for me to come to Elijah about everything. Nines is already here for you, Gavin. You must trust him."

"I don't trust a lot of people," he muttered.

"So you keep yourself in the dark," she sighed. "Gavin, we are free now, why hide yourself in the shadows still?"

Grey eyes met blue and the detective frowned at her beautiful face, at the love he saw in those eyes. He couldn't help but feel like he didn't deserve it, like her love belonged to someone else... someone else with his face that was long buried and gone. It was hard a lot of times, for RA-333. There was always, always that doubt in the back of his head that people didn't actually care about him, that they were just desperately holding onto a life they couldn't bare to lose. Clinging to a memory. 

He couldn't bare to lie to her... so he told her the truth.

"Because, Chloe, the shadows is where monsters belong."


End file.
